4,000 herders evicted from Southern Nigeria now in Kaduna - MACBAN

A humanitarian crisis may hit Labduga in Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna State as 4,000 herders evicted from the southern part of the country arrived in the area.

The herders are mostly from Ogun, Oyo, Ondo, Ebonyi and Abia states, The Punch learnt.

On arrival, the herders were received by officials of the Kaduna chapter of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria at Labduga in the southern part of Kaduna.

Labduga is a popular grazing community located in Southern Kaduna.

Some of the herders are said to be squatting with their relations while others are staying in an open field, the Director of Publicity of MACBAN in the state, Alhaji Ibrahim Bayero, told one of our correspondents on Thursday.

The MACBAN’s spokesman also disclosed that at the moment, the displaced herders are being hit by food shortage, scarcity of drugs, clothing and other essential materials.

He also said some of the herders recounted their ordeals to officials of the MACBAN on how they lost several of their members, cows to attacks on them, adding that some herders are still missing.

According to him, the herders who are about 4,000 are in dire need of food, drugs, clothes, mattresses, and other essential materials.

“They are kept in Ladduga, Kachia. They are there now and since they have relations, some are squatting with them while others are staying in makeshift tents. We have the problem of food, clothing, other essential materials such as mattresses, toiletries, no shelter. You know most of them are sleeping outside.”

Bayero also called on the state government and other humanitarian agencies, to urgently come to the aide of the herders who fled from the southern part of the country.